


A Day Off: Bottoms Up

by Wildwynd_13



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Anime: Uta no Prince-sama, Comedy, Drinking, Gen, Lots of drinking, Masato tries, Ren is sly, Shining has a masterplan, Syo is forever chaotic, Tokiya is the only sensible one, based on the anime, day off shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:26:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27946754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildwynd_13/pseuds/Wildwynd_13
Summary: STARISH are finally rewarded with a day off! But it seems President Shining has something in store for them for their day of relaxation. What's worse, it seems Ren is also in on it. Most of them seem unperturbed by the turn of events, but will Masato and Tokiya be able to keep everyone safe and sane? STARISH isn't sane to begin with, so they were already fighting a losing battle.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	A Day Off: Bottoms Up

_Otoya's POV:_

“Otoya, wait up! Otoya!”

The redhead laughed aloud as he sprinted off down the road. The others’ calls became fainter and fainter as the distance between him and them increased. Otoya smiled as he breathed in the fresh, clean air. They were no longer surrounded by buildings. Trees covered in green flanked either side of the path leading up to the idol’s final destination: Jinguji mansion.

He skidded to a stop, huffing as he stopped to catch his breath. Today was a very special day. He probably shouldn’t tire himself out too much before the fun began.

“Otoya!” He turned to see Syo panting behind him. “Finally, we caught up to you!”

The others filed alongside the winded idol, some breathing harder than others.

“Why’d you have to run off like that?” Cecil whined, his hands resting on his knees.

“Seriously.” Tokiya crossed his arms, fixing him with a disapproving glare. “We can’t take you anywhere.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Otoya scratched the back of his head. “I just got so excited! It’s been so long since we’ve had a day off together!”

“Don’t worry, Otoya-kun!” Natsuki giggled. “I understand. After all our efforts and work together as ST☆RISH, we’re finally being rewarded with a break!”

“And at President Saotome’s request, surprisingly.” Masoto nodded.

“You know what else was surprising?” Cecil straightened up, finally recovered from the unexpected run. “After he called us in for that announcement, he kept only Ren back. What do you think they were talking about?”

“About this day off, obviously,” Syo replied. “We are spending the majority of it at his family’s mansion after all. They had to work out all the details and whatnot.”

“Ren was in there a long time,” Otoya noted. “There must be a lot of fun in store for today!”

“Perhaps…” Masoto trailed off.

“Perhaps?” Otoya inquired. Something was off with Masato’s tone. The frown on his face also added to his troubled aura.

“I’ve known Jinguji since we were both children,” Masato shared slowly. “Whenever surrounding conglomerates hosted an event, the two of us had only each other for company. He’d always be the first to suggest that we run off and have some fun. Most of the things we did were harmless, but there were several occasions where his mischievousness got out of hand.”

“In other words, you think that this feels like one of those times where only trouble is in store?” Tokiya quiered.

Masato nodded, his jaw set.

“Now, now,” Natsuki cautioned with a smile. “I’m sure Syo-chan is right! The president and Ren-kun were probably figuring out how to make our day off the best day ever!”

“That’s right!” Otoya’s spirits soared. “We might never get a chance like this again! Let’s enjoy it while it lasts! C’mon, I’m sure we’ll have a great time today!”

“Only you could be so positive about Ren’s motives,” Tokiya mumbled.

Otoya ignored his roommate's comment. He wasn’t going to let all this talk of trouble or mischief bring him down. This was going to be the best day-off ever, no matter what.

* * *

_Masato's POV:_

Masato casually glanced around at the familiar surroundings as he and the others ascended the steps leading to the Jinguji mansion. As always, its fancy and tasteful architectural design of arches and pillars reminded him heavily of the youngest Jinguji son. Or perhaps that was to be attributed to the multitude of rose bushes planted all over the property.

“Idiot,” Syo grumbled, reaching over and pressing the doorbell. 

Masato waited silently with the others as a soft, elegant tune echoed beyond the doors. His brow furrowed when there was no sign of a response or movement from within. Jinguji did have a certain style with which he did things, a certain elegance and drama. This delay may have something to do with that. 

“Is he home?” Cecil wondered aloud after a minute of waiting, craning his neck to try to peer through the frosted glass panels bordering the door.

“He should be.” Otoya’s smile was replaced by a frown. “He left long before us to get ready.”

“Maybe he had some shopping to do?” Natsuki threw out there.

Masato shook his head. It was possible that Jinguji wasn’t home, but Masato doubted that. The idol was overly-dramatic at times, but not one to be late. He was definitely around here somewhere. As to why he hadn’t yet come to open the door… something fishy was going on, he could feel it. 

“A storm is brewing,” he surmised.

“Hey look! Masato’s not being metaphorical for once!”

Masato followed the direction that Cecil was pointing, surprised to see what his friend said was true. Dark, ominous clouds rolled towards them, a faint crack of thunder in the distance. The birds quieted down, their chirps replaced by the rustling of leaves as boughs began to sway in the wind.

“The storm’s rolling in from the direction of the Shining Agency,” Tokiya noted, his midnight-blue hair tossed by the breeze. “It could be that Ren got delayed because of the storm.”

Masato thought to voice his opinion that Jinguji was in fact inside, but he kept quiet. After all, he could be wrong. Perhaps the youngest Jinguji son was in fact running late and not planning something sinister beyond these two doors. One could only hope.

Syo cursed and began to rapidly press the doorbell, his other hand busy clutching his fedora against his head to keep it from blowing away. “Oi! Someone let us in! Dangit, I’m not about to spend my day off being soaked!”

Suddenly, the double doors swung wide open. Startled, Masato barely had time to turn before he was enveloped in the scent of roses. Its perfume mingled with the smell of oncoming rain, the mixture of a soothing nature. However, Masato only felt apprehension as he came face-to-face with their final band member.

“Yo,” Ren lazily remarked, one hand casually tucked in his pocket while the other was raised in greeting.

“Ren!” Otoya exclaimed, his smile returning. “You’re here!”

“Oi! Is that all you have to say?!” Syo marched right up to the tall strawberry-blond, pointing accusingly at him. “We’ve been out on the porch for several minutes! A couple more so and we would have gotten soaked!”

“Sorry, Ochibi-chan.” Ren smirked down at the raging blond. “I had some final touches I had to finish up for today’s surprise.”

“My name’s not Ochibi-chan!” Syo exploded, clenching both fists in his agitation.

“Aww, c’mon Syo-chan, you can tell Ren that you’re glad to see him!” Natsuki leaped forward and enveloped his roommate in a hug.

“I’m not!” Syo yelled, trying to escape Natsuki’s iron clutches.

“A surprise?” Cecil asked over the side-argument between the two blond roommates.

“Oh!” Otoya bounced around Ren, his hands waving in anticipation. “A surprise? What is it? Huh, Ren? Huh, huh?”

Masato shared a wary look with Tokiya. A surprise from Jinguji? His sense of foreboding heightened at this news. 

“You’ll see.” Ren smiled lazily, turning around and sauntering further into the house.

Masato quickly kicked off his shoes, the others following his example. They slipped on some house slippers and followed their friend inside. The interior complemented the exterior with its neat elegance. The whole package was tied up in a neat bow by the addition of some light jazz music in the background, a saxophone prominently leading the tune. Masato shook his head. He could tell that it was a recording of Ren playing his own saxophone. He didn’t expect anything less from the youngest Jinguji son. 

“Welcome to paradise.” Ren delivered an elegant, sweeping gesture and backed off to the side so that they could get a good view.

They were in the midst of a classy yet comfy looking living room filled with many couches. Several tables rested low to the ground, covered in a variety of snacks and games. They looked innocent enough. But, further on…

“Jinguji.” Masato pursed his lips disapprovingly as the others stared in shock. “What is this?”

The back wall of the living room was devoted to an indoor wet bar. High-quality granite countertops were lined with a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, some labeled with exotic titles that Masato had never even heard of. It was quite a classy arrangement, but still had a daring and dangerous edge to it. 

“Ren.” Tokiya firmly took a step forward, a frown etched on his face. “We’re all minors here. We can’t drink.”

“I didn’t say anything about that.” Ren meticulously traced his fingers over the granite counter. “Why would you jump to such a conclusion?”

“It’s the only conclusion,” Masato retorted. 

“Oh?” Ren delayed responding, leaning back against the counter and resting his forearms on its surface.

“I knew you were planning something fishy!” Syo pointed accusingly at Ren. “Hijirikawa was right!”

“Ouch, I’m hurt by your lack of trust, Ochibi-chan.”

“Quit calling me that!”

“And Hijirikawa,” Ren turned to raise his eyebrows questioningly at Masato, “that’s what you really think of me? After all these years?”

“It’s because of all these years of knowing you that I knew you’d have something like this in store,” he stated briskly. 

“But… but Ren,” Otoya stuttered, “we’d get in so much trouble.”

“Our fans would be devastated,” Natsuki chipped in. 

“Not to mention we could get arrested,” Cecil frowned.

“Oh?” Ren smirked. “And who would find out?”

“President Saotome-sama,” Tokiya stated definitively. 

As if on cue, booming laughter filled the area. A man burst up from behind a couch, flipping and performing all sorts of acrobatics that were incredible for a man his age and size.

“I expect nothing less from you, Missster Ichinose!” Shining Saotome roared, drawing out certain syllables for a more dramatic effect. “But! Missster Jinguji has set up everything perrrfectly!”

“What?” Masato exclaimed in disbelief, everyone else echoing similar expressions of disbelief.

“This day is verrry special!” Saotome continued. “You will spend today bonding together, learning more about each other, and discovering what makes all of you ST☆RRRISH! For this occasion, I will make an exception and allow you to enjoy some alcoholic beverages to help you share the information that must be said to make you become an even grrreater ST☆RRRISH than before!

“That’s all!” Saotome danced across the room, “I will take responsibility as your guardian!”

With that, the man jumped out an open window, laughing like a maniac as he disappeared from sight amidst the flash of lightning and booming of thunder.

* * *

_Tokiya's POV:_

Tokiya could only stare at the window where the president had just vanished out of. He was somewhat used to Shining Saotome’s antics by now, but not so much his seemingly insane ideas. This one by far took the cake. 

“Well then,” Ren broke the silence, “you heard the president. That settles it. Now, Ikki, Cesshi.” Striding forward, he wrapped his arms around Otoya’s and Cecil’s shoulders. “As two of the youngest members of our group, I want you to have front row seats to the magic about to unfold.”

“Ah—Ren!” Otoya exclaimed, apprehensively allowing the strawberry-blond to lead him over to the counter.

“Magic?” Cecil enquired, his curious nature getting the best of him.

“Exception? Guardian? Bonding?” Syo sputtered. “What is the president thinking?! All I want is to have some down time, is that too much to ask for?”

“It’s alright, Syo-chan,” Natsuki comforted his friend, not looking the least bit flustered. “We can bond and have fun at the same time!”

Tokiya pinched the bridge of his nose. Technically, with the president watching over them and acting as their guardian, they could have alcoholic beverages. That part of the president’s plan was fool-proof. However, Tokiya had no intentions of spending his break in this manner. He was sure many of the others were also unsure about this idea. He could attempt to talk with everyone and persuade them to spend their day off doing something else. That would work if everyone was on board with that plan. However… 

A clattering noise caused Tokiya to focus on the wet bar. Ren flashed a suave smile as he shook a cocktail mixer in each hand, showing off by flipping them in the air. He even tossed one behind his back and caught it again as it came over his shoulder. 

Cecil and Otoya watched in awe as their friend handled the shakers. Natsuki came over and joined them, equally enthralled by the show. Syo slowly followed behind him. He was trying to look indifferent, but it was evident that even he was impressed by Ren’s skill. 

“He’s very good,” Tokiya murmured to Masato. “Those drinks don’t look like an amateur’s work either.” He nodded at the golden mix that Ren was currently distributing from the cocktail shakers into glasses filled with ice.

Masato sighed at this. “Yes. I believe he learned it from the staff whenever the conglomerate hosted an event or private party.”

“Is that so?” Tokiya pursed his lips as he watched the smirking strawberry-blond. “Well, that just means that Ren can help things get out of hand fast. Bonding is important, but that can happen without all… this. Would you mind helping me watch over the other four and make sure they don’t do anything too stupid?”

Masato smiled wryly. “As the two most responsible ones here, I don’t think we have a choice.”

“Oi, Hijirikawa, Ichi,” Ren called over to them, “don’t be two sticks in the mud, come join the fun.”

Tokiya warily approached the wet bar, cautiously accepting the glass Ren held out to him.

“What is it called?” Tokiya inspected the golden-yellow drink amidst the ice, noting the two lime slices on top. 

“Whiskey Highball.” Ren took up his own glass, looking around at them all in satisfaction.

Otoya had a mixture of emotions crossing his face; he appeared apprehensive yet slightly excited. Cecil looked as if he didn’t know what to make of all this. Natsuki grinned at the beverage, quietly commenting how its color matched Piyo-chan. Syo grumbled at the drink in his hands, but he did look proud to be part of something usually only reserved for the adults.

Tokiya gripped his glass tighter. He and Masato would have to be very vigilant if they were going to protect their friends from Saotome’s and Ren’s joined plot.

“Well.” Ren grinned as he raised his glass. “Here’s to our “bonding” moments. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

The others also raised their glasses, watching apprehensively as their friend took a small sip and smiled appreciatively. This encouraged the others to also take hesitant sips, including Tokiya and Masato. They had to make the appearance that they were joining in, otherwise they would be found out.

“Woah! It’s fizzy!” Otoya exclaimed, looking down at the drink with a smile.

“Didn’t expect that,” Cecil agreed, laughing out his nervousness.

“If Piyo-chan chose a drink, I think it’d be this one!” Natsuki happily exclaimed, taking another sip. 

“It doesn’t taste like it has alcohol,” Syo said, inspecting the contents dubiously. 

Tokiya glanced over to see Masato slide his glass back up on the counter, still full to the brim. 

“It’s not bad,” Masato said as a lull came about, keeping up the charade.

“Well then,” Tokiya firmly interjected, “now that we have these, let’s go ahead and—”

“Not so fast, Ichi.” Ren gave him a superior smirk, earning him a glare. “We’re not done here. We need to find the drink that suits everyone. Ochibi-chan, if you’re not satisfied with that, I have something else you might appreciate…”

Tokiya exchanged looks again with Masato. This was going to be a long night. 

* * *

_Masato's POV:_

“I’m so excited, this is going to be the best!” Otoya exclaimed as he made himself at home on the plushy couch. Masato didn’t begrudge his friend for being excited, but considering the circumstances, he couldn’t share the sentiment.

The seven of them were finally seated in the living room, each with their own respective drinks that Ren had “graciously” taken the time to select for them.

Otoya had a frozen strawberry margarita in hand, fascinated by the bright red color which nearly matched his hair. 

Cecil had a piña colada, it’s tropical flavor making him feel at home. 

Natsuki had stuck with the Whiskey Highball, too enthralled by its “Piyo-chan color” to change. 

Syo, after testing several different drinks, had selected a beer; not too strong but still manly. Tokiya and Masato kept glancing worriedly at him, the drink testing seeming to have left their friend’s cheeks a little pinker than usual. Considering his small stature, it was hard to say how long until the alcohol would take effect. 

Ren had settled for a martini, looking ever the veteran as he drank it.

After debating with Ren about the best season to drink sake, Masato had finally allowed Ren to make him Umeshu, which contained sake. He had shared with them all that in the Hijirikawa Conglomerate, sake was the preferred drink if they were to drink at all. Those occasions, however, were usually related to religious customs, so it was out of tradition rather than enjoyment. If there was no talking Jinguji out of making him a drink, he assumed it would be best to pick one that contained a drink he was familiar with. It seemed like the safest option.

Unlike the others, Tokiya hadn’t allowed Ren to pick for him, insisting that he would take a dry, red wine. As Masato watched his friend swirl the beverage around, he could tell that this was Tokiya’s way of upholding his dignity. 

“What should we do now?” Cecil crossed his legs up on the couch, appearing as a child trying not to get a privilege taken away.

“Let’s play a game!” Otoya raised a hand in the air, grinning around excitedly. 

“Yeah! That sounds like fun!” Natsuki cheerily agreed, taking a gulp of his cocktail.

That was another one he and Tokiya were going to have to look out for. Masato kept casually glancing over at his curly-blond friend. Natsuki thought that the drink was so cute, that he was drinking it quite quickly, seemingly unaware of the consequences that the alcoholic beverage could have. Then again, with all the horrendous cooking creations he had made and eaten, it could be that he was less susceptible to the drink’s effects. After all, he had survived his own toxic dishes. 

“A game’s a good idea,” Tokiya agreed. “What game should we play?”

“Hide and Seek.”

Everyone turned to stare at Ren. He lazily fished a green olive out of his martini and popped it into his mouth, ignoring them.

“Are you serious?” Cecil asked, still staring at the strawberry-blond. 

“That’s a game I used to play when I was little.” Syo rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his beer.

“But you’re still little, Ochibi-chan,” Ren teased.

“Dangit, I told you, my name is Syo!” The blond banged his glass down on the nearby table, spilling some of it in the process.

“Syo, be more careful,” Tokiya sternly advised him. 

Masato nodded in agreement. If they started getting riled up now, there was no telling what would happen later tonight. 

“How about Hide and Seek with a twist?” Ren suggested casually. 

“A twist?” Everyone asked, Masato and Tokiya especially skeptical.

Ren swirled his martini before downing the rest of it. “Yes, it’d be boring unless there was some motivation involved. I propose that for every round, the first person found has to take a shot.”

“Jinguji.” Masato stood up, glaring at his friend. “I oppose that rule. How is that even considered part of the “bonding” experience?”

“Easy.” Ren also stood up walking over to the wet bar and preparing himself another martini. “It will encourage friendly competition and creativity. We’ll be able to find out more about each other through our use of creative hiding spots to avoid being found.”

Masato glared at Ren. His twisted persuasiveness was going to turn this whole place upside down, probably quite literally.

“Still sounds stupid to me,” Syo argued, following Ren’s suit and also trying to finish off his drink.

“Are you scared you’re going to lose, Ochibi-chan?”

Syo choked on his drink and began coughing and hacking, tears springing into his eyes. 

“Syo’s not scared,” Cecil argued on his friend’s behalf while Natsuki tried to help Syo. “He’s one of the bravest guys I know.”

“Then playing this game should be a cinch for him.”

“Now, now.” Otoya rubbed the back of his head, smiling nervously. “We can always play a different game—”

“Oi, baka!” Syo marched over to Ren, bumping into the table in his fury. He drew himself up to his full height, his red face inches from Ren’s more composed one. “I’m not scared, got it? I’ll play your game and then we’ll see who chickens out in the end!”

“Oh?” Ren smirked in amusement as he crossed his arms in response to the challenge.

Masato looked at Tokiya again, communicating wordlessly. Hide and Seek? More like Hide and Drink with the addition of Ren’s twisted rule. And what were they supposed to do? Their friends were going to play the game in the end, unfortunately, especially with Ren encouraging them like this. This meant that Tokiya and Masato would have to play as well. The question was, did they let themselves be found, and take the shots to spare their friends?

The two of them nodded, coming to an unspoken agreement. No, they were going to have to do their best and hide themselves as well as they could. They weren’t going to fall for Ren’s tricks. Better that they keep their wits about themselves than to lose them along with everyone else.

* * *

_Otoya's POV:_

“Aww, I lost!” Otoya wailed, although on the inside he was bubbling with happiness. Back at the orphanage, he played hide and seek with the kids all the time. And now he was playing with his best friends. Of course, he didn’t tell the others this; it sounded a bit childish.

“Alright, Ikki, you know what happens next.”

The redhead turned and felt his stomach leap in nervousness as he saw Ren pour a concoction into a tiny glass.

“Eh?” He timidly accepted the glass, looking at it apprehensively. He sniffed it cautiously, wrinkling his nose. It didn’t smell anything like his fruity frozen margarita. “Do I really have to drink this?”

“Want me to count down?” Ren offered. 

“Yeah, that would help,” Otoya laughed nervously. If he tried to talk himself into it, they’d probably be standing there all night.

“You can do it, Otoya!” Cecil winked and gave his friend a thumbs up.

This encouragement made Otoya smile. Yeah, he could do this.

“Alright, ready? Three, two, one… cheers!”

All of them held their breath as Otoya closed his eyes and tipped the shot straight back. He immediately began coughing, doubling over as he covered his mouth with his hand.

“Urgh! That tastes horrible!” He whined, tears streaming down his face.

“You were a good sport about it though,” Ren handed him a cup of water as he chuckled along with the others, “I’m surprised you kept it down.”

“I wasn’t about to let it get the best of me,” Otoya declared, drinking the water gratefully.

His eyes wandered over his friends until they landed on Tokiya, who was fixing him with a cold stare. He could almost see his roommate's disapproval rolling off him in waves, making him feel a bit guilty. Then again, not guilty enough to back out of the game. Honestly, with everyone getting into the spirit of the game and acting a bit rebellious, it left a good feeling. The shot had left a good feeling as well, a warm tingling all over. He wanted to ride on these feelings for a bit longer.

“Alright, you’d all better hide extra well, I’m coming after you next!”

* * *

_Cecil's POV:_

“Does it really taste that bad?” It was Cecil’s turn to dubiously eye the shot glass in his hand.

“Not really,” Otoya tried to assure him, although Cecil saw his friend trying hard not to smile. The redhead was obviously lying. Not that it changed anything; if Otoya could handle it, so could he.

“Three, two, one… cheers!”

Everyone, with the exception of Masato and Tokiya, joined in the countdown this time. Feeling completely unprepared, Cecil frenziedly downed the shot, the overpowering taste hitting him hard. He shuddered violently, but only allowed himself one slight cough of reprise.

“Huh, you did better than Otoya.” Syo grinned as he allowed Ren to refill his glass with beer.

Eyes watering, Cecil felt his lips curl up into a smile. “Well, what do you expect, I’m a prince after all.”

He heard a dry laugh and turned to see Masato hurriedly look away, drinking his umeshu to try and hide the blush creeping onto his cheeks. Cecil was surprised, to say the least; he rarely saw Masato laugh at anything. And, if he wasn’t mistaken, it looked like their stoic friend appreciated his beverage more than he let on. This observation made Cecil grin. He was glad Masato was enjoying himself, even if the idol himself would never admit it.

* * *

_Ren's POV:_

“Oh, I guess it’s my turn,” Ren smirked as he raised his glass high, waiting for the countdown.

It came, and he drank. Smiling victoriously he turned the glass upside down and smacked it down on the counter. This raised a small cheer from his friends. Well, most of them. Masato and Tokiya were still being the killjoys of the party. 

“You didn’t even make a face!” Cecil stared in amazement.

“Wow, Ren, how did you do that?” Otoya enquired, buzzing around him like a hyperactive child.

“It takes practice.” Ren winked down at him, glad to see his friend enjoying himself.

“Don’t encourage them.”

Ren turned to see Tokiya eyeing him distastefully, fingering the stem of his wine glass but not drinking from it.

“Oh? You’re no fun, Ichi,” Ren rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder, feeling it tense up under his touch. “You and Hijirikawa need to loosen up a bit and join in the fun.”

“It would be even more fun if you were enjoying yourselves too!” Otoya exclaimed. Ren couldn’t help but chuckle at his friend’s enthusiasm. The redhead’s wide grin and pink cheeks were sure to melt even the hardest of hearts.

“Don’t worry, Ikki. I’m seeking next and I’m going to find Hijirikawa first.” Ren strode over and plopped his arm across Masato’s shoulders.

“I beg to differ, Jinguji.” The boy stated, frowning at the close contact.

“Oh?” Ren chuckled and nudged the idol. “You’re not giving me enough credit. I’ve known you since childhood. I know exactly where you’ll hide.”

“You can try, but you won’t find me.”

Ren chuckled again, but less at Masato’s words than at his own observations. He had been carefully watching his friend and had seen that Masato actually liked the umeshu more than he let on. His pink cheeks were a testament to this. Umeshu was a very smooth drink, therefore it was easy to consume a lot without second thoughts. Ren may or may not have picked it out for Masato with that in mind.

Tokiya, on the other hand… he glanced over at the aloof man, who was majestically sipping his wine. He knew that Tokiya also enjoyed his beverage, but was treating it like a delicacy and only taking occasional sips. If the idol kept up this act of aloofness and disdain, this bonding event was going to crash and burn. Ren grinned. Well, he was always up for a challenge.

* * *

_Masato's POV:_

“Told you guys I’d find him!”

Masato cringed as everyone around him began to clap and cheer. He felt something being shoved into his hand and looked down to see the dreaded glass. 

“This is crude entertainment.” He pursed his lips as he distastefully regarded the drink. “Consuming an alcoholic beverage is better served to take place during religious events or special occasions.”

Even as he said this though, his thoughts wandered guiltily to his umeshu. He knew he should despise it, but it did actually taste good…

“But this is a special occasion!” Otoya exclaimed, swinging his legs as he sat on a couch’s armrest.

“We’re all here together, hanging out,” Cecil gestured around. “I’d agree, seems pretty special to me.”

“You can do it, Masato-kun,” Natsuki cheered.

“Man up!” Syo grinned and raised his beer.

Masato turned his gaze towards Ren. His childhood friend was smirking again, a mischievous light sparkling in his eyes. That mischievousness had been there since childhood and was something that the teen had always secretly admired. It was what always led them to such wonderful adventures when they were younger. And now, it felt like Ren was trying to lead him towards another such adventure. Which, of course, was not true, but it was a nice thought.

Adjusting his grip on the glass, he took a deep breath and nodded at Ren. 

“Three, two, one… cheers!”

Steeling himself, Masato copied what the others had done and shot it back all at once. Even though he had been expecting it, it still burned more than he thought it would. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees, loudly exhaling as sweat broke out on his flushed face. He was trying his best to remain composed in front of the others. 

“Wow, Hijirikawa.” Ren approached him, clapping slowly as he surveyed him with genuine surprise. “It’s almost like you’ve done this before.”

“You know I haven’t.” Masato glared at him, tugging at the collar of his shirt in an attempt to cool down. 

“We’ve got ourselves a natural here.” Ren grabbed one of Masato’s hands and lifted it above his head, encouraging the others to clap and cheer. 

Masato sought out Tokiya, inclining his head apologetically. The other idol shook his head, giving an understanding smile. They couldn’t dodge all the bullets, but they could try their best. For their sake, as well as the sake of the others.

* * *

_Natsuki's POV:_

“Ooh!” Natsuki hugged himself and grinned. “It feels as warm as a sunny spot!”

He was confused when he saw everyone surveying him with stunned expressions, large sweat drops running down their faces.

“He took that incredibly well,” Ren commented, examining the empty shot glass dubiously.

“Woah,” Otoya and Cecil said in hushed tones, surveying him a bit fearfully.

“Did I do it wrong?” He asked everyone, looking around for a sign.

“No, Shinomi.” Ren grinned in reassurance. “It appears that you’re more of a natural than even Hijirikawa.”

“I beat Masato-kun?” Natsuki clasped his hands together in delight. He had been very impressed with Masato’s attempt. To have someone tell him that he did even better warmed him as much as that funny drink had.

“Tch.” Natsuki turned to see Syo leaning nonchalantly against the counter. “It’s not that impressive. I mean, Natsuki was found first, so that means he wasn’t hiding very well.”

“Aww, don’t worry Syo-chan!” Natsuki jumped towards his friend and wrapped him in a hug. “I’ll find you first so that you don’t feel left out!”

“Oi!” Syo tried to shove him away. “That’s not what I said!”

“I’ll find Syo-chan first!” Natsuki laughed as he spun around and around.

“Let go of me!” Syo yelled, causing Natsuki to laugh. “Dangit, are you even listening to me?”

* * *

_Syo's POV:_

“You weren’t listening to me at all!” Syo glared daggers at Natsuki as his friend grinned cheerily down at him. 

“You were so cute, all curled up in that cabinet!” The curly blond gushed.

“I’m not cute!” Syo burst out. “Watch me!”

He snatched the glass out of Ren’s hand and downed it. Then, he shut his mouth tight, trying to take it like a man. He felt his cheeks flush and hoped that they weren’t an embarrassing shade of red. He saw everyone holding their breaths, watching him closely to see if he would make it through. Everyone blurred a bit, his vision clouding as his eyes watered. However, he was determined to show everyone that he wasn’t messing around.

“Ha! How was that?” He asked once he was sure he could speak normally, flashing a grin.

This was greeted by applause all around.

“Wow, Syo.” Otoya shared the blond’s smile. “That was so cool!”

“You see?” Cecil crossed his arms and gave Ren a smug look. “Syo’s not a scaredy-cat.”

The strawberry-blond shrugged in defeat. “I guess not. That was pretty good, Ochibi-chan.”

Fired up from the shot, Syo immediately reacted to Ren’s nickname. “Idiot! Are you hard of hearing? My name’s Kurusu Syo!”

“If you say so, Ochibi-chan.”

“Dangit!”

He heard the others laughing at their exchange, but he didn’t care. He had an extra boost from that shot and was going to use it to shut Ren up once and for all.

“Oi!” Syo glared at Ren while he pointed straight at Tokiya. “Tokiya’s the only one who hasn’t been found yet. If I find him first in Hide and Seek, you’ll stop calling me Ochibi-chan.”

“Oh?” Ren looked between him and Tokiya. Syo grinned; Ren’s interest seemed piqued.

“Don’t bring me into this,” Tokiya warned him, looking annoyed.

“Just for tonight?” Syo pressed Ren.

“Alright,” Ren replied after a pause, “go find Ichi.”

“How about no?” Tokiya stared at Ren with a deadpan expression, a vein throbbing in his temple.

Their friend was in a bad mood. Not that Syo cared much at this point, not with everything going on. He was going to win one over Ren. This was his night!

* * *

_Tokiya's POV:_

“Tell me why I came here again?”

Tokiya crossed his arms moodily, frowning as Syo kept a hold on him, refusing to let go of his prize.

“Ha, I did it!” He yelled at Ren, hopping from foot to foot in victory. “No more Ochibi-chan tonight!”

Ren shrugged, seemingly amused by Syo’s little dance.

Tokiya caught some slight movement and before he knew it, Otoya had popped up next to him out of nowhere.

“Hey, hey, Tokiya, I can’t believe you were found first!” His roommate smiled.

“It’s not like I was trying to let that happen,” he replied, sighing in annoyance.

“Are you alright, Tokiya-kun?” Natsuki queried, peering closely at him.

“He’s fine.” Cecil smiled as he shook his head. “He’s just being ‘Tokiya.’”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Tokiya narrowed his eyes at the prince.

“Now, now.” Ren stepped past the others, holding out the shot glass towards Tokiya. “Don’t be a sore loser, Ichi.”

Tokiya sighed again and took the glass, knowing that there was nothing to be done but do as they wished. However, he wasn’t going to wait for a countdown; that would make it twice as humiliating. Not that this wouldn’t make him cringe, expect it would be for an entirely different reason. 

And cringe he did. The liquor burned his throat, immediately making him question why people did this out of enjoyment. It seemed more like torture.

He began to shake his head, ready to get the taste out of his mouth, when his eyes popped open. A sensation spread throughout his body, tingling as it went. He was enveloped by a soothing warmth, easing some of his tension. His lips parted in surprise.

“Well?”

Tokiya snapped out of it and turned his attention to Ren, the strawberry-blond grinning knowingly at him.

“I did it.” Tokiya shrugged indifferently, trying not to look guilty. He had to admit, he had enjoyed that feeling for a second. Ren’s smirk notified him that his friend had also noticed his momentary pleasure. However, if Ren thought this would be enough to make him fall prey to the temptations of the evening, he was very much mistaken. This was where it stopped. 

His eyes met Masato’s, his friend giving him a sympathetic look. Tokiya gave a small smile back, but he couldn’t help but feel his own sympathy for the other teen. He could tell that Masato was trying to keep their promise. However, Tokiya had noticed that he had kept returning to sip his umeshu. Masato was slowly falling victim to the very trap that they were trying to avoid.

Tokiya gave a small sigh and followed the others as they clamoured about finding a different game to play. With Masato on the path towards defeat, it looked like it was up to him to keep an eye on everyone.

* * *

“What was that?”

Tokiya craned his head as he heard a faint noise. He strained his ears, trying to hear above the music and the ruckus. Honestly, he was surprised he wasn’t deaf already.

The noise sounded again, and Tokiya realized it was the doorbell ringing. Glancing over at Ren, he saw that the strawberry-blond was too involved in a game of darts to notice the doorbell. Plus, he probably wasn’t in the best condition to answer the door anyway.

“I’ll get it,” he called out as he stood up, even though he knew no one was paying attention. At least, that’s what he thought.

“Where are you going, Ichinose?” A rosy-cheeked Masato asked him.

“I think someone’s at the door,” he gestured in the general direction they had come.

“I’ll come with you.” Masato also rose to a standing position.

“It’s fine,” Tokiya quickly assured him, taking another glance at his friend’s flushed cheeks. “I’ve got it. You stay here.”

“Please,” the idol implored, hanging his head a bit sheepishly, “I… I think I’ve had too much to drink. I’m sorry, I broke our promise. I overindulged in the drink that Jinguji gave me and have been failing to dissuade the others. If I go with you to take some time away and get some fresh air, I think that’d help to clear my head.”

Tokiya raised his eyebrows. So Masato was cognizant of the fact that he had accidentally wandered too close to the trap? If that was true, then his friend was still hanging in there after all.

“Alright,” Tokiya smiled. “I appreciate it, Hijirikawa-san.”

The two of them made their way through various rooms to the front door, Masato taking it slowly. He seemed steady enough, but Tokiya stayed close by, just in case. He trusted Masato, but not the alcohol. 

“Yes?” Tokiya ventured as he opened the front door, he and Masato peering out.

“Oh, Ichinose-san! Hijirikawa-san!”

Tokiya felt his eyes widen as before them stood none other than Haruka Nanami. She grinned at them as she shielded herself from the rain with a pink umbrella.

“Nanami?!” Tokiya turned and saw Masato give the girl a horrified look before slipping back inside, abandoning his friend.

Haruka stared in surprise, and Tokiya could tell that she was unsure of what had just happened.

“Excuse him, Nanami-san.” Tokiya forced a smile. “I think the others needed Masato to help them with something.”

“Oh,” Haruka smiled sweetly, “I understand.”

Tokiya felt his cheeks flare up in response to her cute smile. It suddenly felt very hot, despite the cold draft coming in from the open door. 

“So,” he cleared his throat, “what are you doing here?”

“I just thought I’d bring these to you guys.” Haruka smiled as she held up a bag. “I baked some cookies for everyone, to celebrate your day off.”

“Oh.” Tokiya felt himself blush even more and hated himself for it. He never lost his cool this easily. C’mon, he had to keep it together.

“I thought I’d come inside and give these to everyone in person.” Haruka took a step towards the front door.

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded from inside, making them both jump.

“What was that?” Haruka took another step towards the front door, concern etched on her face.

“Nothing!” Tokiya jumped in front of her, faking another smile and hoping to high heavens that somebody hadn’t just died. “We’re just… uh… having a cooking competition!”

“Eh?” Haruka tilted her head, confused once again.

“Yeah.” Tokiya nodded, sweating as he composed the lie on the fly. “We decided that we’d have a competition in place of dinner. Everyone is making a dish and we’ll decide on the best one as we eat them.”

“Oh, sounds like fun!” Haruka clasped her hands together. “I’d love to see it—”

“You can’t!” Tokiya burst out, laughing nervously as Haruka gave him an alarmed look. “I mean, I would advise against it. It’s very heated in there right now. Also,” he sighed, wishing he was talking to her under better circumstances. “President Saotome wished for us guys to have some bonding time, to grow closer as ST☆RISH.”

“That’s wonderful!” Haruka smiled brightly. “Then, I’ll leave you guys to it! Could you give these to them for me?”

“Sure.” Tokiya numbly accepted the bag, wishing he could leave this madhouse with her.

“Bye then!” She stepped out into the pouring rain, hurrying back towards the taxi.

“Bye, Nanami-san,” he mumbled, watching gloomily as the car pulled away and disappeared into the night.

He went slowly back inside and slumped against the door. He looked dejectedly down at the cute bag full of Haruka’s homemade goodies. Tokiya knew he had made the right decision by turning her away, both for her sake as well as theirs. She didn’t deserve to see any of the guys like this. But, he wasn’t going to lie, he felt terrible now.

“I’m sorry.” He turned his head to see Masato leaning against the other door, his entire face a bright crimson. “I didn’t want Nanami to see me like this.”

“You’re fine, I understand.” Tokiya allowed himself a small smile, which quickly disappeared with a sigh. “She came to give us cookies. She wanted to see us too, but I had to turn her away, of course.”

The two of them stood in silence for a bit. Tokiya felt the weight of guilt settle upon him. First, President Saotome and Ren had come up with this ridiculous notion of everyone bonding over alcohol. They were all minors, for goodness sake. Then, because of this, they hadn’t been able to spend any time with Haruka. This day off was gradually getting worse. 

“We’d better go see what that crash was about,” Masato suggested, hoisting himself up from the door.

Tokiya followed his example and the two of them headed back towards the living room. As soon as they arrived, they knew they had just stepped into the midst of ensuing chaos. Natsuki and Syo were seated on opposite couches, while Cecil and Otoya clamored and cheered around them. Ren seemed to be enjoying the spectacle, but he left as soon as he caught sight of them returning.

“What was that crash earlier?” Tokiya immediately demanded.

“Oh, that was Ochibi-chan accidentally running into the couch,” Ren shook his head, grinning.

“I thought you promised Kurusu that you’d stop calling him that tonight,” Masato reminded his friend.

“Yes,” the strawberry-blond’s eyes flashed mischievously, “to his face, at least.”

Of course Ren would jump at any loophole he could find. 

“What are the others up to?” Tokiya glanced uncertainly at the rambunctious idols, wondering if he really wanted to know. 

“Well, Ochibi-chan got quite angry after he lost at darts. He wasn’t making any sense though, so I set up a new game. It’s called King’s Cup, and it involves cards and, of course, liquor.”

“Ah…” Masato and Tokiya looked back at the rowdy foursome, catching sight of an assortment of beverages on the table.

“So, what were you two up to?” Ren enquired, sipping at his martini. Tokiya idly wondered how many the strawberry-blond had had so far.

“Nanami came with some cookies,” Masato curtly responded. “Tokiya convinced her to leave without seeing us.”

“Oh?” Ren raised an eyebrow at his friend’s flustered appearance. “Did you embarrass yourself in front of the Little Lamb?”

“No,” Masato blushed violently.

“Alright, I’m sorry,” Ren chuckled. “That was uncalled for. Here.” He offered Masato his glass of umeshu. “Take this and go join the others. I think you’ll enjoy the little game I set up.”

“I don’t…” Masato hesitantly replied.

Tokiya crossed his arms. He could try and say something, do his best to intervene, but this choice was Masato’s alone to make. 

“C’mon,” Ren patted his best friend on the back, “don’t try and lie. I know you’re enjoying yourself. Go over there and have some fun.”

Tokiya glanced between the two. Masato’s expression faltered as he wavered between what to do. Ren encouraged his friend with a smirk, his expression confident. Masato was very stubborn when it came down to it, but Ren was just as persuasive.

Masato’s arm reached up, and Tokiya’s heart sank. He watched despondently as his friend accepted the drink from Ren. He glanced down at the ground as Masato passed, purposefully avoiding eye contact. He wasn’t necessarily angry or disappointed at Masato. Rather, he felt conflicted. 

“If you hadn’t started this whole mess in the first place, Nanami-san wouldn’t have had to leave,” Tokiya informed Ren.

Ren shrugged his shoulders apologetically. “I’m sure My Lady will understand. After all, this is to make the president happy.”

“Yeah,” Tokiya sighed. Usually when he was feeling down, he didn’t show it in front of the others. Tonight, however, it was harder than usual.

Maybe that was because everyone else seemed like they were having such a great time. He glanced back at the couches, watching as the four seated there hollered and laughed. He saw Masato approach the group, smiling at their antics as he drank more umeshu. Masato had finally given in. He looked a lot happier for it.

Tokiya let out a dejected sigh. He wanted to have fun with everyone, he really did. Bonding was an important aspect of their relationship as ST☆RISH. And at the moment, everyone seemed willing to put up with their president’s crazy idea to increase that bond. It was so easy for everyone else to join in, why was he having such a hard time of it? Why was he the only one to not be a part of it?

“What do you say?” He turned and saw Ren give him an understanding, encouraging smile. “Are you ready to join in?”

Tokiya glanced once more at the rowdy party, at everyone’s smiling faces. Something inside him let up; some tension and wariness disappeared, leaving him much more relaxed and confident in what he wanted to do.

“Why not?” He returned Ren’s smile. “Friendly competition helps us bond, right? Isn’t that what you said?”

“Right,” Ren winked as they headed over towards the others, the two of them chuckling at Tokiya’s statement.

* * *

“I give up, Ren. You win.”

Tokiya held his hands up in defeat, grinning at the victor and marveling at his sheer determination.

“Sorry, Ichi.” Ren swept his hair out of his face, revealing the brilliant red gracing his cheeks. “I couldn’t let an amateur beat me when I’m so much more experienced.”

“Who said I’m an amateur?” Tokiya suggested, causing both of them to burst out laughing.

Tokiya knew that the alcohol had something to do with the warm feeling that enveloped him, but he wasn’t sure it was the only responsible party. Sitting here, laughing and hanging out with the others, he felt a sense of closeness that he had rarely experienced before.

“You’re amazing, Ren-kun!” Natsuki quipped cheerfully, giggling hard as he pulled his knees up into his chest.

“Baka,” Syo slurred as he tried to slam his fist into the table, missing and almost crashing his tomato-red face into it instead. “I’m not done yet, I can still beat you.”

Tokiya couldn’t help but chuckle at Syo. The vertically challenged teen was dealing with the worst side effects, by far. However, mean as it might be, it was hard not to laugh at his efforts.

“Even if you kept going, Ochibi-chan, I would still beat you.” Ren draped an arm over Syo’s shoulders, ruffling his hair affectionately.

“Eh?!” Syo turned on Ren, trying to focus on the strawberry-blond’s face with a furious expression. “You just called me Ochibi-chan! You said no… no more Ochibi-chan!”

“Did I?” Ren dangled a shot glass in front of Syo provocatively, grinning from ear to ear.

“Yes, baka!” Syo snatched the glass and downed it, his face growing even redder. “Also, you could never beat me, I would totally beat you! I’d beat you and then beat everyone else! I could beat all of STA—ST☆RISH and still keep on going!”

“Sure, Ochibi-chan,” Ren chuckled as Syo grumbled and reached for the bottle of tequila to pour himself another shot.

“Ha, good luck with that.” Cecil threw out his chest proudly, his blush coming through despite his darker complexion. “Nobody beats the prince, the ultimate victor!”

“Eh?!” Otoya swayed closer to Cecil, his face as red as his hair. “But Cecil, you weren’t even close to winning. You dropped out before I did.”

“You are mistaken, Otoya. The muses shine on my victory!”

“Cecil!” Otoya whined.

“Heh.” Everyone turned as Masato allowed himself a smirk that was reminiscent of Ren’s, and a red face to match. “You’re all so distracted with beating each other. While you all squabble, I would end up becoming the champion and you’d never even realize it.”

“Wow,” Ren whistled after a pause, grinning at his friend. “As sly as ever, Masato.”

“Of course, Ren,” Masato smiled, taking another sip of umeshu.

“Oi,” Syo staggered to his feet, gesturing at all of them with the tequila bottle, “nobody beats me. I win every time. Every—”

The rest of his sentence was lost as he toppled over, landing heavily on his back on the short table in the middle. Glasses fell and rolled across the carpeted floor. 

Tokiya burst out laughing, finding the spectacle particularly hilarious at the moment. Everyone joined in with him, their laughter filling the whole room.

“Looks like Ochibi-chan’s bit the dust!” Ren clutched his stomach as he tried to stop laughing, his face growing redder from the effort.

“Idiot,” a slurred voice murmured from the tabletop. “I‘m not going anywhere.”

“Mhm.” Natsuki slid off the couch with a contented smile, resting his head on the short table as he began stroking Syo’s hair. “You’re cute when you’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk,” Syo stubbornly hiccupped, drinking straight from the tequila bottle.

This simply made Natsuki giggle as he continued stroking his friend’s hair.

Tokiya felt something heavy push against him. Looking over to his right, he saw Otoya was now leaning against him, his drink tipping precariously over. Tokiya had enough sense left to pry it out of the redhead’s grasp before it spilled in his lap. 

“Tokiya,” the redhead whined, “I wasn’t done with that.”

“Yes you were,” Tokiya grinned, deciding to tease his friend a bit. “It was empty.”

“Oh,” Otoya looked down at his empty hands. “Could I have some more?”

“I think you’ve had plenty.”

“Nooo,” Otoya whimpered. “I want to have more fun. More and more!” He craned his head so his innocent eyes locked with Tokiya’s. “Are you having fun, Tokiya?”

“Yes, Otoya,” he chuckled at the teen’s brilliantly red face. “I’m having fun.”

“Yay,” Otoya gave him a big smile. “I was hoping you’d have fun. You didn’t look like you were having fun before.”

“I wasn’t at first.” Tokiya felt his eyes widen, surprised at himself for admitting that aloud.

“Why weren’t you having fun?” Cecil leaned forward from Otoya’s right, childlike curiosity on his face. 

Tokiya looked about the room. With the exception of Syo, everyone was keyed in on the conversation, looking very interested in hearing his answer. Somehow, he didn’t mind sharing.

“I thought this was stupid,” he stated bluntly. “It wasn’t my idea of a productive bonding activity at all.”

“I felt the same way,” Masato nodded.

“What changed your mind, Tokiya? Masato?” Otoya let out a big yawn. 

Tokiya looked over at Ren. The strawberry-blond was calmly contemplating him, lazily swirling his iced whiskey around.

“I saw all of you guys, sitting together, having fun,” Tokiya slowly explained, “and I just… I didn’t want to be left out. I wanted to join in the fun, to be a part of even this chance to bond with all of you. Of course,” he chuckled, “it’s still stupid.”

“But it’s fun,” Masato finished, toasting everyone and finishing off his glass of umeshu before setting it down on the table.

A loud snore interrupted the peace. Syo lay sprawled across the table, finally rendered unconscious. Natsuki also slumbered peacefully, his head resting on the same table as Syo. Tokiya grinned. Those two were quite the pair. 

The sight of these two sleeping started affecting the others. Cecil, Otoya, and Masato were trying to stay awake, but they were beginning to nod off. Ren alone seemed to be fighting off sleep’s calling, solemnly staring off into the distance as he sipped his drink.

“This turned out better than I expected,” he mused.

“What, knocking us all out?” Tokiya chuckled. He couldn’t be mad at Ren; what he said was true, he had had fun. He couldn’t begrudge the strawberry-blond when he had enjoyed himself. But, the fact that Ren would try something like this on their day off… idiot, he grinned.

There was a thump and Ren and Tokiya shared a smile as Cecil also dropped off to sleep, his one arm hanging off of the couch.

Otoya stirred and he slipped off of Tokiya’s side, his head landing in the older teen’s lap.

“I don’t wanna go to sleep,” Otoya slurred tiredly, his cheeks still very red. “I wanna have more fun, more and more…”

With that, the redhead fell asleep mid-sentence, curled up like a little kitten. Tokiya didn’t try to move him, allowing his roommate to slumber like this just this once. Honestly, Otoya was just like a little brother to him. He could be very annoying at times, but his kindness and earnestness was always something he had admired.

“You know, my plan wasn’t to have everyone drink just for kicks.”

Tokiya looked confusedly at Ren. Even Masato roused himself enough to consider these words. Ren finished the last of his whiskey and set down his glass before looking at both of them with a sincere expression.

“You two are always so serious,” he tried to stifle a yawn, “so uptight. I just wanted those walls to come down so we could all have fun together.”

“That’s the most forthright thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Masato chuckled, before his head dropped back and he too was left to snore softly on the couch.

“Was that really your plan all along?” Tokiya asked, finishing off his beverage as well.

“I like to think it was,” Ren murmured as he slowly lowered himself to lay down on the couch. “Yeah, have fun with everyone. I had fun.”

Ren was lost to the world, his long hair falling in front of his face as he slept, a happy smile tugging at his lips.

“You’re as bewildering as ever,” Tokiya whispered, tilting his head backwards and feeling his consciousness begin to fade. “I had fun too… goodnight… ”

* * *

A strange noise penetrated Tokiya’s peace of mind, driving into his brain. He let out a muffled groan, wishing it would stop and leave him in peace. The noise continued to go off, over and over until amidst Tokiya’s muddled thoughts, it dawned on him what it was: his alarm on his phone. 

Feeling incredibly sluggish, he sighed and lifted his head. 

Pain bombarded him. He immediately dropped his head back down, groaning as he was struck with a major headache. It felt like someone was bashing his brains out. A wave of nausea swept over him, encouraging him to take deep breaths until it passed. However, the pain in his head didn’t subside, continuing its relentless attack.

Thoroughly disoriented, Tokiya gave up trying to lift his head and instead reached over towards his bedside table for his phone. He didn’t find it.

Confused, he cracked his eyes open and shifted his head so that he could look over. His arm was inches away from touching bright red hair. 

Freaking out momentarily, he tried to leap away. He scooted at least a foot before he was stopped by something solid, which turned out to be an armrest to a couch. What the heck…

Even as his head threatened to split open, he looked around, taking in the scene and finally recalling what had happened. He wasn’t in his bedroom at Shining Agency’s dorms for Master Course idols. He was at Ren’s house along with the rest of ST☆RISH, who were all still passed out in the living room. They had had a day off yesterday, which they had spent drinking. That explained a lot.

Realizing his alarm was still going off, Tokiya slipped his phone out of his pocket and quickly turned the alarm off, his eyes smarting from the light coming from the phone screen. He allowed himself a couple of minutes to adjust. He may have allowed his responsibilities to slide last night, but their day off was over. It was back to the grind.

“Oi,” he slowly called out, “time to get up. We’ve got to get back to Shining Agency.”

Nobody stirred. Tokiya let out a long sigh. Looked like he was going to have to be a bit more persistent.

“Oi, Otoya.” He scooted over and gently shook the redhead. “Wake up.”

He got a groan as Otoya reacted by curling up more.

“Otoya.” Tokiya shook him a little more roughly.

“No,” Otoya let out a muffled reply. “Head hurts…”

“That’s your own fault,” Tokiya rebuked him, even as his own head pounded. “C’mon, get up.”

Groaning, Otoya slowly sat up, a pained expression on his face. He swayed a bit, his face paling.

“Don’t feel good.”

Panicking, Tokiya quickly pointed across the room. “Bathroom’s right over there.”

Otoya clutched his mouth and swerved in that direction, dashing over and slamming the door behind him.

“Could you keep it down?”

Tokiya turned around to see Ren slide an arm over his eyes, one leg bent at the knee.

“It’s time to get up, Ren,” Tokiya informed him, scooting further down the couch to start waking up Cecil. “We’ve got to get back to work.”

“We can be late one day.”

“No, we can’t,” Tokiya argued as he began to shake Cecil. “I thought you were used to this?”

Ren groaned and slowly sat up, looking very rumpled and grumpy. “No one ever gets used to the hangovers.”

“Well, suck it up,” Tokiya said, this expression as much for his own benefit as for Ren’s. “Help me wake up the others.”

“Fine,” the strawberry-blond sullenly agreed.

“Eh…” Cecil groaned, cracking one eye open before shutting it again. “It’s too bright.”

“Get used to it,” Tokiya told him unsympathetically. “We’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”

“Late?” It seemed Ren had successfully roused Masato, who now sat with his head in his hands. “Late for what?”

“For work!” Tokiya repeated himself exasperatedly. “We only get one day off, not two. Let’s get moving!”

“Alright, Tokiya-kun,” Natsuki raised his head from the table without anyone coming to wake him. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Shinomiya-san,” Tokiya sighed. “At last, someone gets it.”

“Of course,” Natsuki put on a brave smile. “Work’s important, after all.”

Tokiya was sure that the curly-blond’s hangover was just as bad, so he appreciated that his friend was trying so hard.

“Now.” Ren stood up and looked down at the table, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What do we do about Ochibi-chan?”

The blond was still sound asleep on the table, snoring a bit softer than last night. His cheeks were still a bit pink and his hand loosely clutched the overturned tequila bottle.

Tokiya joined Ren in looking down at their friend. He had probably consumed the most alcohol out of all of them, tiny though he was. Tokiya shook his head. He always acted like he had something to prove. Well, no matter, Syo wasn’t going to get any special treatment.

“Syo.” Tokiya reached down and shook the blond roughly. “Wake up.”

Syo didn’t even stir, completely lost to the world. Tokiya repeated this, and still no reaction.

“Oi, Ochibi-chan.” Ren shoved Tokiya aside and splashed a cup of water in the sleeping teen’s face. 

That got an immediate reaction. Syo sat straight up, sputtering and looking extremely ticked. 

“Oi! Who did—” he lurched forward, both hands clasped to his mouth. He jumped to his feet and rushed over to one of the windows. Forcing it open, he almost flung himself outside as he violently retched.

Tokiya closed his eyes and tried to ignore it, unwilling to let another wave of nausea hit him.

“So, Syo’s not feeling well either?” Otoya came wandering back into the living room, clutching his head but looking much better than before.

“I don’t think any of us are feeling well.” Masato stood up as well, rubbing his eyes.

“I think we may have overdone it last night.” Natsuki let out a hesitant laugh, wincing as he slowly raised himself up off the floor.

“Dang.” Syo shuffled towards them, wiping a shaky hand across his mouth. “You think? I don’t even remember half of it.”

“You fell onto the table and let Shinomi stroke your hair.” Ren allowed a pained grin onto his face.

“Eh?” Syo looked at him in disbelief. “No. You’re making that up.”

“It’s true,” Cecil transferred himself to the arm of the couch, “and then you passed out and snored very loudly.”

“Oi!” Syo clutched his head at his own outburst. “I don’t snore.”

“Yes you do.” Even reserved Masato attested to the other’s accusation.

“Alright, now,” Tokiya tried to get their attention. “We’ve still got work to get going to. Come on, we’ve got to head back to the dorms and at least put on some fresh clothes.”

The others grumbled at this but they obediently began heading towards the door. Tokiya found himself walking alongside Ren, who had his eyes shut and both hands in his pockets. He recalled what his friend had shared with him right before they had all fallen asleep.

“Hey, did you mean what you said last night?”

“Hmm?” Ren peered over at him before closing his eyes again. “Well… I guess it’s like Ochibi-chan said. I don’t remember half of last night.”

Tokiya smiled to himself. He hadn’t expected Ren to be straightforward about it. Still, his friend’s words about how he wanted them all to enjoy themselves with no walls between them stuck with him. He hoped that the seven of them would have future opportunities to hang out like they had last night. True, everyone was grumbling about it at the moment, but he was sure none of them would deny that they had fun and didn’t regret it. Well, he clutched his aching head, maybe just a little.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, this was a short (short??) story I wrote up for fun. I never thought I'd post it here, but here we are. I wasn't planning on writing a follow-up story for this, but if people really enjoy this and want another one, I'm not opposed to it! Regardless, I hope you did enjoy reading it! Feel free to drop a kudos and/or leave a comment!
> 
> \- Wild


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